This invention relates to the concept of saboted ammunitipn as it pertains to large and small caliber weapon systems. Both fin-stabilized and spin-stabilized projectiles are sometimes fired from gun barrels with a much larger bore diameter than the nominal diameter of the projectile, to increase the muzzle velocity. The term projectile as used herein refers to the penetrator or bullet which is intended for terminal performance. In such weapon systems, the projectile is accelerated down the barrel by means of a sabot which has an outside diameter equal to the weapon's bore, to prevent the escape of gas ahead of the projectile. Just after the projectile and sabot leave the muzzle, the sabot separates from the projectile, caused by dynamic forces acting on these two components. A problem in the past with one-piece injection molded sabots used with spin-stabilized projectiles has been interference between the sabot and penetrator or bullet during sabot discard. During discard this type of sabot has a tendency to rotate slightly about its lateral axis. This usually occurs while the projectile is still within the confinement of the sabot, causing the projectile to yaw. This yaw affects the accuracy of the projectile and can also adversely affect the terminal performance of the projectiles, such as bullets or penetrators, at the targets.
One solution to this interference problem in the prior art was the use of a segmented sabot which comprised several pieces which fitted around the penetrator or bullet in the manner of a jig-saw puzzle. Upon exit from the muzzle, such a segmented sabot would quickly disengage from the projectile with minimum interference from centrigugal force, for spin-stabilized projectiles.
Segmented sabots are more difficult to manufacture and assemble and hence are more costly than one-piece sabots. Tighter tolerances are required and multi-operating stages during the assembling process are also required. This is both time consumming and costly.
The channelled sabot of the present invention is a one-piece sabot which has the cost advantages of the conventional sabots and the performance capability of the aforementidned segmented sabots when used with spin-stabilized projectiles.